Canteen meal ideas

Try these tasty hot food ideas. Many are suggestions from schools, which have been popular with students and are easy to prepare.

Vegetable-based options

• Corn on the cob – offer some toppings (e.g. sweet chilli sauce or a herb pesto).
• Warm-roasted vegetable salad – with a dollop of hummus.
• Vegetable pasties – made with filo pastry
• Falafel wraps -falafel mix can be purchased commercially and is quick and inexpensive to prepare. The healthiest way to make them is to bake them. Serve in a wrap with salad and sauce (e.g. tzatziki, yoghurt, garlic sauce or hummus).
• Spinach and ricotta filo – make a bulk batch and freeze.
• Spinach and ricotta cannelloni – make a bulk batch and freeze.
• Pasta with tomato-based sauces – spiral or penne shaped pastas are easier to serve, and eat.
• Oven-baked vegetable chunks or wedges – served with yoghurt or hummus dip – a great alternative to a tub of hot chips.
• Toasties – half and whole sizes – see Fillings sections below for ideas

Mixed meat/vegetable options

• Toasted sandwiches – half and whole sizes. See Fillings section below for ideas.
• Souvlaki – lean chicken, lean mince patties, sliced steak or lamb, served in pita bread with salad and sauce (e.g. tzatziki, yoghurt or garlic sauce).
• Skinless chicken drumsticks – drizzle with honey soy marinade or stir-fry sauce and bake.
• Lean meat and vegetable kebabs -chicken, lamb or beef and vegetables such as capsicum, onion and mushrooms.
• Warm chicken salad -mixed salad with grilled chicken or warm skinless BBQ chicken on top.
• Hot rolls or wraps -fill with any selection of lean meats (e.g. roast beef) and vegetables.
• Fried rice – add plenty of diced vegetables – canned or frozen are okay to use for convenience.
• Pizza – topped with plenty of vegetables (use English muffins or pita for easy individual size serves, or use regular bases).
• Pinwheels -scone dough rolled with filling (e.g. pizza topping, tomato chutney, cheese) – bake and serve hot or cold.
• Zucchini slice – a pastry-free quiche. Serve hot or cold. Make a bulk batch and freeze into serving sizes.
• Burritos -Mexican-style lean mince, beans or chicken, cheese and salad wrapped in a soft burrito

Filling options

The following filling options are great for toasted sandwiches, rolls or wraps, baked potatoes, filo parcels, pizza toppings or in pasta sauces.

Savoury

• Salads (e.g. coleslaw, Mexican bean salad, pesto pasta salad, roast vegetable salad and spinach, beetroot, feta salad).
• Baked beans and reduced fat cheese.
• Creamed corn, reduced fat grated cheese and diced lean ham.
• Chilli con carne (mince and kidney beans mixture).
• Lean mince bolognaise sauce (try bolognaise made with mince, tomato, garlic, onion and carrot).
• Crushed pineapple, diced lean ham, low fat grated cheese mixed together with a little tomato paste.
• Tuna (canned in spring water), reduced fat grated cheese, corn and diced capsicum.
• Finely diced or grated vegetables (capsicum, carrot, corn, celery, mushrooms) combined with a sauce such as low fat mayonnaise or salsa and reduced fat grated cheese.
• Left over salads, casserole or stir-fry.

Sweet

• Low fat ricotta cheese, honey and dried fruit (diced).
• Banana and cinnamon.
• Banana, sultanas and coconut.
• Canned apple with cinnamon.

Spreads to vary your sandwiches

With a bit of creativity you can make the sandwiches in your canteen interesting and enticing for students.

We ‘buy with our eyes’ so creative presentation of healthy sandwiches is important.

Spread ideas

• Hummus (chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, pepper and tahini), reduced fat tzatziki (reduced fat yoghurt, cucumber and garlic), vegetable based dips, salsa.
• Low fat mayonnaise, mono- and poly-unsaturated spreads and margarine.
• Low fat cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta.
• Creamed corn, mashed avocado.

Filling ideas

• Reduced fat cheese, tomato and salsa.
• Roast chicken (skin removed) and coleslaw (with reduced fat dressing).
• Roast chicken (skin removed), cucumber, lettuce and reduced fat tzatziki or avocado.
• Roast chicken (skin removed), avocado, lettuce and alfalfa.
• Tuna (in spring water), corn kernels, grated vegetables and low fat mayonnaise.
• Tuna (in spring water), salad, and reduced fat cheese.
• Roast beef, salad (lettuce, tomato, grated carrot, cucumber) and mustard.
• Turkey, spinach, tomato and low fat mayonnaise.
• Roasted chicken (skin removed), pesto and char-grilled capsicum.
• Salmon (in spring water), spinach, spring onion, low fat mayonnaise and reduced fat Swiss cheese.
• Remember

We ‘buy with our eyes’ so creative presentation is important. If sandwiches are presented in an attractive way, students will be more likely to make a healthy choice, which will increase sales of healthy options in your food service.

Themed sandwich fillings

• Tropicana – Lean, reduced salt ham, reduced fat cheese, tomato and crushed pineapple (drain well).
• Mexicana – Baked beans, grated reduced fat cheese (toasted) and salsa.
• Meatball – Sliced meatballs, reduced fat cheese and spinach.
• Souvlaki – Lean chicken/mince patties or lamb, salad and reduced fat tzatziki served in pita bread.
• Falafel – (falafel mix can be purchased commercially and is quick and inexpensive to prepare): Falafel balls, salad and reduced fat tzatziki or hummus served in a wrap.
• Christmas lovers – Lean, reduced salt ham or turkey, roast vegetables and cranberry sauce.
• The Aussie – Roast beef, beetroot, reduced fat cheese, pineapple and salad.
• Italian veggie patch – Pesto, char-grilled zucchini, char-grilled eggplant, reduced fat feta and spinach.
• Zebra sanga – Use 1 slice of white bread with 2 slices of wholemeal, rye or grainy bread with different fillings. This is a great way to increase consumption of wholemeal/grainy bread.
• Pinwheel or sushi sandwich – Spread a slice of wholemeal flatbread with filling (e.g. avocado), roll up, cut in half and display with the filling showing.

Top tips for sandwiches

• Try different types of bread, such as wholemeal, grainy, seeded, rye, sour dough, fruit bread, rolls and mini rolls, wraps, pita, Turkish, Lebanese and lavash breads.
• Use poly- or mono-unsaturated margarine instead of butter and spread sparingly.
• Always try to include a protein source such as egg, lean meats, fish, reduced fat cheese or legumes (hummus dip, lentil patties, Mexican style kidney beans).
• Use lean meats and reduced fat cheeses.
• Always try to include at least one vegetable or fruit filling.
• Pat dry moist ingredients, such as tomato or pineapple, and place between dry ingredients/spreads to help stop the bread turning soggy.
• Vary sandwiches, fillings and spreads to give more food variety and choice. For example, offer toasted sandwiches and wraps, or hot rolls
• Cut sandwiches into different shapes and sizes, e.g. four triangles for smaller appetites or ‘triple decker’ for older students.
• Keep in mind that younger students only have little hands. Mini dinner rolls may be a good alternative.
• Use leftover bread to make toasties.
• Wrap sandwiches immediately after being made to stop the bread drying out.
• Name healthy sandwiches with catchy titles, like ‘Chomping Chicken Burger’ to help make them more engaging.

Important information for menu planning

• Where possible, choose products that are labelled ‘reduced fat’, ‘reduced salt’ and ‘no added sugar’.
• When choosing commercial products, check nutrition information panels against the nutrient criteria tables in the Canteens, Healthy Eating and Other Food Services Policy. For more information about the Canteens, Healthy Eating and Other Food Services Policy visit www.heas.health.vic.gov.au

Tip- Chomping chicken burger -Name healthy sandwiches with catchy titles to help make them more engaging.

This at-a-glance guide* will help you to plan and prepare for bulk quantities of common sandwich fillings, and standardise your serving sizes.

Where possible choose reduced fat, reduced salt, and/or no added sugar varieties of products.

Where possible choose reduced fat, reduced salt, and/or no added sugar varieties of products.

Use in a variety of menu items, for example:

• English muffins
• Pita pizzas
• Toasted sandwiches
• Bread cases,
• Hot wraps, pita pockets or hot rolls (hollow out, stuff with filling, heat)
• Pinwheels (use scone/pizza dough)
• Filo parcels or spinach and ricotta rolls (made with filo pastry)
• Stir through hot pasta and top with grated cheese for a pasta bake

Use in a variety of menu items, for example:

• English muffins
• Pita pizzas
• Regular pizza bases
• Pizza pinwheels (using scone or pizza dough)
• Pizza subs (halved bread rolls)
• Hot wraps, pita pockets or hot rolls (hollow out, stuff with filling, heat)
• Toasted sandwiches
• Jacket baked spuds
• Filo parcels
• Bread cases
• Stir through hot pasta and top with grated cheese for a pasta bake
• Sandwiches, rolls, wraps and sushi

Healthier cooking methods

Avoid pan-frying or deep frying items as this increases the fat content of foods.

Alternative cooking methods include:

• stir-fry,
• steam or blanch in water,
• boil braise and simmer,
• grill and toast,
• microwave, and
• roast or bake with minimal oil (e.g., using oil spray or brushing on oil).

Additional Tips

• Use non-stick cookware or an oil spray (like canola or olive oil) instead of a liquid oil to reduce the amount of fat added during cooking.
• When baking, use baking paper instead of oil to ensure items do not stick to the tray.
• Bake crumbed and coated foods instead of frying.